A petition has been launched demanding that major sports brand Reebok discontinue using Rick Ross in their advertising, following his use of a lyric referencing date-rape.
As over 50 thousand people have called for him to be banned, the rapper has spoken out to defend himself, saying rape is not something he ‘condones'.
The lyric in question features on Rocko’s song U.O.E.N.O and appears to have Ross rapping about drugging a woman with molly, which is slang for crystallised MDMA, and then having sex with her.
Speaking on 93.3 in New Orleans at the end of last week the 37-year-old defended his rap.
Rick, who is also known as Rozay, said: ‘Woman is the most precious gift known to man. And there was a misunderstanding with a lyric, a misinterpretation.‘I would never use the term rape in my records, in my lyrics. And as far as my camp, hip-hop don't condone that, the streets don't condone that, nobody condones that.’
‘I just want to reach out to all my queens that's on my timeline, all the sexy ladies, the beautiful ladies that have been reaching out to me with the misunderstanding: We don't condone rape, and I'm not with that,’ he concluded.
However it seems it’s a case of too little, too late as a petition launched at the end of last week calling for Reebok to drop him has received thousands upon thousands of signatures.
The petition was started by women's rights group UltraViolet and in a statement from cofounder Nita Chaudhary it’s explained why the words are unacceptable.
No stranger to drama: Rick has been involved in a number of controversies over the years
It reads: ‘We are appalled that Reebok would pay a spokesperson who brags about enjoying drugging and raping a woman.
‘Reebok devotes a lot of time, energy and money to marketing to women—and now they are paying a man who is literally bragging about raping us while absurdly insisting it can't possibly be rape if he doesn't use the word 'rape.'’
The controversy comes not long after the sports company’s latest advert starring Rick, real name William Leonard Roberts II, was launched.
Ross takes the lead in the advert showing him living the life of luxury, in an all-white pool side setting, complete with white Reebok trainers which get ruined when his chef accidentally cracks an egg on his shoe.
It is unclear whether Reebok will take the petition on board, however in the past stars have been dropped from campaigns following questionable behaviour.
Chris Brown famously was dropped by Wrigley in 2009 after he was arrested for assaulting his then girlfriend Rihanna.
Rick is known for founding the record label Maybach Music Group, on which he has released three albums.
He was also famously the first artist signed to Diddy’s management company, Ciroc Entertainment.
This is not the first time the rapper has been embroiled in controversy. In the past he has been arrested on gun and marijuana charges and he and his girlfriend were the targets of a drive-by shooting at the beginning of this year.
A spokesperson for Ross and Reebok has been contacted for comment.
